手机APP下载

您现在的位置: 首页 > 英语听力 > 英语美文欣赏 > 英语沙龙 > 正文

英语沙龙:On Learning English谈谈学英语

来源:tingclass 编辑:sunny   可可英语APP下载 |  可可官方微信:ikekenet
 下载MP3到电脑  批量下载MP3和LRC到手机
加载中..

A correspondent from the Czech Republic asks a powerful question:“How would you encourage English language learners at secondary and postsecondary schools; what do they have to be careful about and what joys can they expect when dealing with a language ofsome 2 billion speakers worldwide?”

In a way, the question answers itself. English enables you to communicate with a third of the world's population, and that has to be a plus on the agenda of anyone with an international outlook. That third, moreover, is hugely diverse. English is present, as a first, second, or foreign language, in every country in the world.

So, in using it as a tool, you have an unparallelled opportunity to explore the individuality of nations and peoples. The metaphor of the tool is important. English is not a prism, through which you see others. It is a tool which enables you to have a close encounter with others.

Culture is not wholly dependent on language, but it does need language to explain its uniqueness—an experience all travellers have had, as they watch, say, a local folk dance and wonder what it is all about.

However, the metaphor of the tool only goes so far, because you can change the character of the tool to suit your purposes. If you have adopted English as one of your languages, then you are able to adapt it— to take personal ownership of it.

One of the great joys of making headway in a new language is that you can use it to talk about what you want to talk about—and if that means inventing new words, to express your local experience, then do not hesitate to invent them. Just translating the culture of your school and town into English—such as the names of localities and personalities—will immediately add dozens of new expressions. Don't restrict yourself to the words that are already in the dictionaries.

English is yours now. The words and expressions you and your fellows invent today might be in the dictionaries of tomorrow, if they catch on. You're doing nothing that hasn't already been done thousands of times before. New words were added to English within days of the first settlers arriving in America from Britain, and the same pattern has been observed in all countries where a community of users has evolved.

What you find yourselves doing you will see being done elsewhere. So to adopt the motto of the scouting movement—be prepared. Be prepared for linguistic diversity, change, playfulness, and creativity wherever you listen and look on radio and television, in the press,literature, film, pop music, the internet...

Develop a sense of the kind of English that is appropriate to particular circumstances. And make it your major aim to be so in control of your own English that you can vary it to suit the circumstances in which you find yourself. Your goal is not to learn English, but Englishes.The same principle applies to any language, of course, but it is particularly important in the case of English because of its global reach.

重点单词   查看全部解释    
ownership ['əunəʃip]

想一想再看

n. 所有权

 
adopt [ə'dɔpt]

想一想再看

v. 采用,收养,接受

联想记忆
individuality [individʒu'æliti]

想一想再看

n. 个性,人格,特征

 
encounter [in'kauntə]

想一想再看

n. 意外的相见,遭遇
v. 遇到,偶然碰到,

 
particular [pə'tikjulə]

想一想再看

adj. 特殊的,特别的,特定的,挑剔的
n.

联想记忆
encourage [in'kʌridʒ]

想一想再看

vt. 鼓励,促进,支持

联想记忆
diversity [dai'və:siti]

想一想再看

n. 差异,多样性,分集

联想记忆
uniqueness [ju:'ni:knis]

想一想再看

n. 唯一性,独特性

 
pattern ['pætən]

想一想再看

n. 图案,式样,典范,模式,型
v. 以图案

 
vary ['vɛəri]

想一想再看

v. 变化,改变,使多样化

 


关键字:

发布评论我来说2句

    最新文章

    可可英语官方微信(微信号:ikekenet)

    每天向大家推送短小精悍的英语学习资料.

    添加方式1.扫描上方可可官方微信二维码。
    添加方式2.搜索微信号ikekenet添加即可。